


5 Times an Avenger Was Under the Weather and One Time Peter Was

by Fletcher_Of_Mirkwood



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 5+1 Things, Cute Peter, Friendship, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-07-23 15:59:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16162166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fletcher_Of_Mirkwood/pseuds/Fletcher_Of_Mirkwood
Summary: Set about 1 month after Spider Man Homecoming. Five Avengers + Peter are under the weather and the teammates help each other out. :) Really just fluff.Ch1: WandaCh2: SamCh3: PepperCh4: NatashaCh5: RhodeyCh6: PeterMy first fic!





	1. Wanda has bad cramps this month (and how Natasha tries to help her)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Thank you for dropping by for my first fic!  
> Please leave comments and kudos; I'm always looking for suggestions.  
> Enjoy!

It was one of those days. On the second day of her period, Wanda got that feeling of foreboding. She waited the rest of the day in trepidation. Nothing bad came -- just the usual amount if blood. The next day, however, went differently. When she woke up, Wanda's feeling turned into a knowing: cramps. Her crotch already felt like a full bladder. She was determined, though, to try her best at a normal enough day. 

Wanda got dressed, changed her pad, and went down for breakfast. It isn't too far past my usual time, Wanda thought. Maybe Vision will still be waiting. Even though she had only returned to the compound a few weeks ago, Wanda had a routine. She had rekindled her friendship with Vision and now talked to him everyday at breakfast. "Good morning," Vision greeted her first, as she walked into the kitchen.

"Morning," Wanda replied. She sat down at the table -- a position much more agreeable to her vagina -- and used her powers to get the cereal for her. Meanwhile, Vision asked why she was late. "Fifteen minutes isn't long. Or did I inconvenience you?" She teased. 

He smiled and sat across from her. "No." 

Wanda dug into her Frosted Flakes. "How was sparring yesterday?"

"It went well," Vision replied. "I tried a new technique Natasha showed me..." Wanda listened and ate. At her fifth spoonful, though, a feeling of nausea hit her. She bit her tongue, determined not to let herself throw-up. Vision paused in his storytelling. "Wanda, are you alright?" 

She nodded and managed to swallow. "I'm fine." 

Vision nodded slowly back, looking unconvinced. "What do you plan to do today?" He asked her. 

Sleep, Wanda thought. "Paperwork. I still have a whole desk full to read through." She moved to eat another spoonful, but just thinking about it made her stomach (and uterus) churn. "I'll start now. Then we could do something later."

"A piloting lesson?" 

Going upside-down was a hard no. "Ahh, how does a movie sound?" Wanda brought her half-eaten bowl to the sink. 

Vision eyed it, but did not comment. "Alright." Vision headed to the lab and Wanda to her room.

She was acutely aware of the pinching, prickly cactus that would soon grow into some awful cramps. To her credit, Wanda read through an entire packet on the conditions of her amnesty before she felt herself slip. 

Her body went a little numb. Oh shit, she thought. Tunnel vision arrived on her way to the bathroom. Bleh. She had puked. Wanda did feel accomplished at making it to the toilet, though. 

"Miss Maximoff, are you feeling okay?" FRIDAY inquired from the ceiling. "I can call someone to help you."

"No," Wanda said. She flushed the toilet and stood on shaky legs. "I'm alright."

"If you say so, Miss Maximoff. Do you need something?" 

Wanda thought for a moment. "Do we have a heating pad?" Heat had always helped with the cramps. 

"I don't believe so. The massage chair in the rec room is heated and the jacuzzi is open, if that will help. I can order one online for you." At the moment none of those were very good options; all of them involved interacting with the team. She waddled over to her bed and collapsed. 

Tea would be nice right now, Wanda thought. I wonder how Natasha does it? She had never seen the assassin take a single day's break. Maybe..."FRIDAY, could you ask Romonov to come here? Tell her I need her help."

"Of course."

Wanda wrapped herself in two blankets and waited in pain. A minute later, Natasha knocked and opened the door. "You called?" She teased. Her face fell when she stepped through the door. "What's wrong?" 

"Period cramps," Wanda replied softly. She felt like she would explode.

Natasha bobbed her head in understanding. "What should I get?" 

Wanda gave a small smile. Nat could be kind when she wanted. "Can you make ginger tea? And get a thermos with hot water? Please," she added. 

"'Course. No pills?"

Wanda shook her head. "Interferes too much with my powers." 

"Mmh. I'll be back." 

Down in the kitchen, Natasha put the water in the microwave. While she was waiting, she decided to procure ice packs as well. She had known a few women who swore that they froze their period cramps away. The good ones were in the med bay, so that was where she went. 

"Miss Romanov," Vision called just as she had closed the freezer.

"Hmm?"

"May I ask what you're doing with those?"

"Icing." 

"Icing what?" 

"Not exactly your business, is it?" By then they had reached the kitchen again. 

"Ah, I suppose not. But..." He noticed the tea bag and thermos on the counter. "Are they for Wanda? Is she well?" 

Natasha's eyes softened. "She'll be fine tomorrow. Just leave her be, okay?" 

Vision was satisfied enough and recognized he would get no more from the red head. "Alright. I'll leave her be," he replied and turned away. 

Nat finished Wanda's request and brought it up on a tray. She kicked the door as a knock, and red whips of energy opened the door for her. Wanda was just as Nat had left her. The water bottle of hot water immediately floated over to Wanda's lap. "Thank you," she said. 

"No problem," Natasha replied, sitting on the bed. "Anything else?"

Wanda let out a small sigh--the heat was already working its magic. "I wanted to ask you.." Nat nodded in assent. "...if you get cramps. You've never.." She trailed off when she saw something flash across the other girl's face. Regret? A little shame or embarrassment? Wanda couldn't quite tell.

"The Red Room," Nat whispered. "I'm sterile now." Oh. Wanda took the assasin's hand in her own. 'Sorry' was all she could think to say, but she knew that wouldn't help.

"Did you want kids?" She blurted. 

Longing crept into Natasha's eyes. "Once upon a time." 

Wanda nodded. They ended the moment by taking turns sipping the tea. After sitting with the hot water bottle, and then quickly swapping it out with the ice packs, Wanda's cramps subsided. It only took a few hours, in which they read Pepper's magazines, gossiped, and snacked -- all things neither of them had done in a long time. 

"Thanks, Romanov." They had gone to dinner and were going their separate ways for the evening. 

"No worries." 

Wanda smiled and went to join Vision, whom she assured that she was fine, on the couch. Maybe her bond with Natasha had grown stronger today. Wanda liked that.


	2. Sam walks 40 minutes in the pouring rain (and how Wanda and Rhodey dry him off)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam arrives...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone that gave me kudos!  
> Enjoy

"Colonel," FRIDAY addressed Rhodey. "There is a man coming up the driveway." 

Rhodey put down his pen and looked up from his paperwork. "Who is it?" 

"Unknown. His face is obscured by his hoodie and my attempts at scanning him are being blocked." 

Rhodes rubbed his face. It was late at night (or was it morning?) and he was the only one up and about. Of course, he was left to deal with this. He eased himself out of the chair -- he was still getting used to the new braces Tony had made -- and headed over to the front door. "FRIDAY, do you have anything else on this guy?"

"He is also carrying a backpack and his hands are in his sweatshirt pocket." Rhodey looked out the window. It was pouring. Whoever this guy was, he must be soaked, Rhodey thought. "Colonel, he's approaching the door." 

The speaker outside crackled and Rhodey spoke to the man from the safety of the adjacent window, "We don't appreciate strangers coming to the door in the middle of the night." 

The man stared directly at Rhodey through the one-way glass. "I'm no stranger. I hope I haven't woken you from your beauty sleep, Rhodes."

* * *

"Sam Wilson, you bastard," Rhodey greeted his somewhat estranged friend from the doorway. 

"Rhodes." Sam stepped inside, and they clasped forearms in a bro-shake. He looked his friend over. "You're walking." 

"Yeah." 

"That's-that's good." Sam dropped his backpack and sniffled. 

"Let's get you dried off," Rhodey said, grateful that that awkward moment was over. They made their way to the bedrooms.

"Is Wanda here?" Sam blurted. 

"Yeah, got here about a month and a half ago." 

"Good." He sniffled again and shivered. 

"How long were you out in the rain?" Rhodey asked. 

"A good half-hour. Walked from the bus stop." They reached the linen closet. 

"You didn't call?" 

Sam shrugged. "I wanted the exercise." He walked a few paces to the next door. It had a decorative 'W' on the front. He knocked three times. Rhodes watched this take place as he took out an extra blanket and towel. 

A shuffle, and Wanda appeared. "Sam," she whispered and immediately went in for a hug. "I'm glad you came. But you're drenched." 

"We're about to fix that," Rhodey interjected, throwing the towel at Sam. He caught it, turned to the side, and sneezed--loudly. 

Wanda just tsked. "Shouldn't have been out in the rain so long," she scolded. Then she pushed back Sam's hoodie. "You're hot. C'mon, let's get you to bed." 

Wanda led the way to Sam's room, while Rhodey gripped his friend's shoulder. It was just as Sam had left it. Well, almost. Someone had clearly vacuumed and had put everything that was on the floor to one side. But everything was still there. Everything. Wanda was already walking over to his dresser.

"Here," she said, holding out his flannel pajamas. "Put these on. I'll make us hot cocoa." 

"Thanks," Sam replied. She closed the door behind her. Rhodey sat on the bed as Sam changed behind him. 

"So, how's, uh," Rhodey rubbed his eyes. "How's Steve?" 

The response was not immediate. "Good. He's good. Still laying low, but good." Sam used the towel to dry himself off. "He says hi." 

Rhodey turned around once Sam plopped down on the bed. He was under the covers in a jiffy, with the extra one wrapped around his torso and head. He sniffled and sneezed twice. "Be back in a second," Rhodey told Sam. He went into his room, grabbed tissues, and told Wanda to bring up Sam's backpack as well. 

Returning to the room, Rhodey found Sam with his eyes closed. He crept in and put the tissues on the nightstand. "I'm not asleep." 

Rhodey jumped and cursed. Sam opened his eyes and laughed. "Wilson..." Rhodey growled, but laughed with Sam anyways. They quieted down quickly. 

"Rhodey...thanks for the amnesty." If the colonel was surprised at the comment, he didn't show it.

"I have to give Tony some credit on that one. It was a tough job." 

Wanda came in with the cocoa and the backpack. "I've missed this," Sam commented before taking a sip. 

"Well, you're back now," Rhodey said. They made small talk for a short while. Then, Wanda floated the backpack onto the bed and asked Sam what was in it. 

"Traveling stuff. Clothes, a notebook." He leaned over and took out the things from the front pouch. "This is my burner phone. Don't need that anymore--" he tossed it aside "--and these hid me. It made a nice little forcefield around me, so no one could scan me or somethin'." Both of his friends leaned forward to get a better look and the two round balls. 

"What's in it?" 

"Vibranium," Wanda answered Rhodey's question. "I can sense its power," she said to their quizzical looks. They both wanted to know where it had come from, but Sam only said it was from a friend. 

He placed his backpack back on the ground and leaned back into his pillows. The hot cocoa was warm in his stomach; it was a nice feeling. However that warm feeling started to spread. A minute later he wiped the sweat off his face and arms and tossed off the extra blanket. Wanda moved first.

"Sam, want some water?" She went into the bathroom and filled his cocoa mug with water. She had also wet another towel with cool water. Wilson gulped down half the mug and felt it cool his insides. He sprawled out in a starfish position as his mind started drifting. 

Both Rhodey and Wanda were hovering over him. One of them put the towel to his forehead--ahh, sweet relief-- and the other was talking to FRIDAY about a fever reducer. "Just," he managed to interject. "Let me sleep this off. I can sleep this off." Rhodey and Wanda's now unfocused faces looked down at him again. "I'll be fine." He closed his eyes and fell asleep. 

The first thing Wanda did was send Rhodey to bed. "You've been up all night," she said. "And you need to be awake to tell Stark in the morning. I'll take care of him." And she did.

For the next six hours (it had been around 12:30 when Sam had arrived), Wanda sat in Sam's room. Whenever he tossed the covers off, she neatly brought them to the side of the bed. And whenever he semi-consciously groped for them back, she tucked him in again. It seemed like a boring job, but Wanda rather enjoyed taking care of her teammates--any of them. It reminded her of the relationship she had had with her brother. 

True to his word, Sam's fever broke in the morning and he woke up soon after. Throughout the day, the rest of the team came by his room to say hi. Wanda had quarantined him there and he had been too tired to argue. By the next day, he was a good as new. Man, it was good to be back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am always open for prompts/ideas--just comment.


	3. Pepper gets a vase of flowers (and how Tony takes too long to get rid of the arrangement)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper had a slight mystery on her hands...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the kudos and bookmarks and comments! 
> 
> <3

Pepper stood in front of her dresser and put her other earring on. It was a small swirl of diamonds on silver. She also admired her engagement ring in the mirror. Tony really could spoil her (although she did the same to him). She smoothed down her hair and walked through to the front room. Happy had just walked through the door of her rented flat with an unusual present. 

"Who's that from?" Pepper asked, eyeing the vase of flowers. 

"Mr. Zhang," Happy handed her the note. It read: _Mrs. Potts, I look forward to making your acquaintance tonight, and I hope our businesses will prosper together._

"That's sweet of him," Pepper commented. The reception tonight (in a private room of The Plaza) was to kick off a week of business negotiations between Stark Industries and the smaller Hong Kong-based company. Their CEO, Mr. Zhang, was later in his years and generally known as a sweet man. "Could you put them on my dresser? Thanks." 

Pepper leaned over and sniffed the arrangement as it passed her. So fragrant, I wonder what's -- Pepper's thoughts were interrupted by one of her small, dainty sneezes. Too much perfume, then. 

They left for The Plaza. The night went well -- good food, light chatter, and complements all around. She, of course, thanked Mr. Zhang personally for the flowers.

"I'm glad you enjoy them. I requested peonies specially. They can represent prosperity and good marriage in my culture. My best wished to you and Mr. Stark." Pepper blushed slightly at that and thanked him again.

She got back to the flat as the clock chimed half-past ten. To her surprise, Tony was waiting for her in the bed, tapping away at a Starkpad. "Hi," she said. "You said you were coming Monday." 

Tony glanced up. "I was thinking we could grab some 'us time' tomorrow. Y'know, instead of-" 

"Tony," Pepper cut him off. She had already taken her dress off. "I'm sorry, but can we just go to bed? Tell me about it in the morning." 

He dropped the Starkpad and put his hands up in the 'Backing Away' pose. "Okay, boss." She rolled her eyes. 

In five minutes flat the lights were out, and Pepper was buried under two blankets wondering if she would deprive her fiancé of the covers. A minute later they were both fast asleep. 

***

When Pepper woke to the morning sun, she immediately rubbed her eyes. They were teary and a bit itchy and she noticed her throat was a bit dry too. She shifted under the blankets and discovered the other half of the bed empty. 

It was so toasty under the blankets, but she knew she had to get up. Noises from the kitchen told her Tony was cooking them breakfast. What could it be? Pepper sat up (still in her blankets) and started to take a deep breath when--

Her breath hitched and she started coughing. It was dry and sounded harmless enough to her ears. More noises, and Tony appeared with a glass of water. "Pepper..." He rubbed her back until the coughing subsided. She grabbed the glass and gulped down half of it. "Gave your lungs quite a work-out. Are you okay?" Tony finished with a somewhat concerned look. 

Pepper brushed it off. "Fine. I-I guess something was in my throat." She rubbed her eyes again. "What's for breakfast?" 

"Sausage, eggs, toast, whatever else I can cook in a fry pan." 

"You made toast in the fry pan?" 

He huffed. "Maybe it tastes better." She raised an eyebrow. 

A second later, she sneezed twice. "Bless you," Tony said automatically. Now he was looking at his smartwatch. "FRIDAY, take Pepper's temp." He stuck out his wrist to scan her forehead. 

"Tony, I'm fine," Pepper protested weakly. It was barely any use against Tony. 

"99.1 degrees F," FRIDAY reported. He put a hand on her forehead anyway. 

"You have a fever," he stated. 

She pushed his hand away. "Barely," she retorted. Another cough. 

"Stay, rest, and we can play Monopoly all day. Or Jenga, but resetting is such a pain, or-" Pepper squeezed his hand and he stopped talking. She wasn't entirely convinced. 

Although, she still had a tickle in her throat, and her eyes were very itchy, and she could already tell her nose would get stuffier. And a day in with Tony wouldn't be so bad. 

"Okay. We'll stay in today. Let's eat." The look in his eye was one of relief. Pepper moved to get up, but Tony gently pushed her back down. 

"I'll get it," he said. She took a breath to protest, but let him go. Why was he doing this? She was capable of getting up herself. 

He returned with a tray (where did that come from?) with two breakfast plates on it. They sat cross-legged with the tray between them and ate. Pepper decided to start on work, before their 'us time.' Once again, Tony got up and fetched whatever she needed. "Tony," she confronted him. "It's only a cold. I can get out of bed." 

He looked down, like he had done something bad. "I'm just making you comfortable." The red head was confused. He finally met her eyes, and she understood. There was that same bit of relief, but also guilt and love. 

"Tony," Pepper said slowly to her fiancé. "What are you trying to make up for?" He looked down again, fiddling with one of her blankets. 

"Nothing." 

"Tony." 

"I just-I'm just-" He took her hand in his and at almost a whisper said, "I'm just trying to be a good husband. Future husband." 

She met his eyes once more and matched his volume. "I am marrying you because you are already who I want. What --? Oh." Pepper's brain had caught up. "Tony, you are and will be a better husband than Howard Stark. Always." 

He scoffed. "Well, I won't be on a quest to find Captain America, that's for sure." She smiled slightly, but broke off into a short coughing fit. He rubbed her back again. 

Okay, she decided. If taking care of her for the day would give Tony some reassurance, she would let him. "Since I'll be staying here for another few hours," Pepper started. "You could brighten the view by putting the vase on my nightstand. The lamp blocks it from here." Tony happily obliged. 

"Happy?" He asked her. 

"One more thing..." 

"Let me guess, you want a pony." 

She giggled. "No." 

"A chocolate fountain?" 

"No." 

"Customized license plates?" 

"No! Sit with me for awhile. I might need something." She planted a kiss on his forehead. He returned it and placed himself next to her on the bed. 

Over the next hour or so, they sat and worked side-by-side. Pepper only had one coughing fit in this time. However, she felt her nose getting stuffier and decided, as a break, to find out what the flowers actually smelled like before she lost her sense of smell. She leaned over and took the vase off the nightstand. 

The reaction was almost immediate. She took one deep breathe in -- how fragrant, she thought again -- before another dry coughing fit took her. Tony, to his credit, quickly took the vase from her hands. The flowers brushed against her face, and her eyes teared again. A minute later she calmed down. 

A thought had come to her mind. "Tony, what's my temp?" 

He quickly scanned again. "Only 98.6. No fever."

Aha. 

"Pass me the leaves. No -- just the leaves. Okay thanks." She held it up to her nose. Nothing. 

"Pepper...?" 

"The smaller flowers?" Nothing. "The peonies?" Two sneezes and extra tears to boot. "I think we have our culprit." 

The arrangement was hand-delivered to the flat below by one Tony Stark. The AC was turned on to filter out the pollen. Pepper called the front desk for her pajamas to be laundered, and took a shower herself. The symptoms were gone by the end of the day (and, yes, they did play Jenga). 

Monday came and the meetings with it. Pepper slid into her chair next to Mr. Zhang. "Good morning, Miss Potts," he greeted her. "I hope your Sunday was pleasant." 

She smiled back at him. "It was, thank you." She paused a second before adding, "Mr. Zhang, I remember what you said about the meaning of peonies, and I am very grateful for the gift."


	4. Natasha meets her worst fear(and how Sam and Peter calm her down)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha hates spiders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! You get TWO chapters today because I posted number five out of order and decided not to mess with you by switching them. 
> 
> Enjoy!

It was just another Thursday morning. Peter was staying the week at the compound to finish a big project with Tony, and today was Natasha's turn to drive him to school. Peter had already chosen the orange Mustang to drive in, but he took the time to look at all the nice cars again--just to be sure. 

Nat walked down to the Mustang, which happened to be the last one in the row. She opened the car door and saw a big spider webbed up in the corner of the garage. She took a shaky breath (she hated spiders to death), but told herself it was okay, it was ten feet away, and they were about to leave. 

Just as she was calling Peter over, the worst possible thing happened. The spider moved, and she watched hundreds of baby spiders spill out onto the floor. She yelped and jumped in the car. 

_No, no, no._ She was hyperventilating. Her training said, _Natasha breathe and you can get out._ The fear in her screamed in agony and made her freeze. All she could picture was spiders crawling-crawling on her skin-itching-biting-screaming. 

She closed her eyes and suddenly she was 10, trapped in a dark room. She could hear the spiders scuttling across the floor, coming closer and closer. She was trying to get out, but the lock wouldn't budge.

 _Closer, closer._ One reached her foot. It tickled, and she trembled. 

_Have to get out have to get out._ More surrounded her. One touched her arm and she slapped it so hard her own hand burned. 

"Ow!" 

Natasha swam back to the present. Peter was rubbing a red hand beside her. "Natasha?" He asked her quietly. 

She took hicuppy breaths, unable to say a word. But she inclined her head toward the wall, where she knew the spiders were. "Oh, um..." Peter looked. He held out a hand. "Just keep your eyes on me. We'll go back through the door." 

She took his hand and forced herself to breathe. Her chest felt too small, but breathe dammit breathe. This is what she was trained for. 

Peter, amazingly kind and gentle Peter, led her back into the building. By then she had regained her outward composure. Her mind was still reeling, though. For a split second, Peter's face changed to that of her old trainer's. The door seemed remarkably similar to the one leading to her childhood bedroom. Natasha shuddered. 

Sam was waiting for them in the next room. "Peter, get Tony to drive you. I'll talk to Natasha." She didn't move a muscle as Peter let go of her hand and said a goodbye. She didn't hear. 

Sam sat in a chair, and Nat followed suit. "FRIDAY called me down here. I think we should talk." 

"I..." Natasha didn't know what to say. But Sam was good a what he did and eased her into it with some chatter. "I hate spiders." She whispered, interrupting Sam. He nodded. "When I was a kid I was frightened of them. Eight legs, eight eyes. What creature needs all that?" She shook her head and continued. 

"Of course, I had to be broken of that fear. They-they locked us in our own rooms. Pick the locks to escape. Too slow and they put what you feared in with you. It was designed to take too long, just to give you the false sense of hope that you could escape. But we had to confront our fears. And I did. I'm not afraid anymore. It-it-it's." Nat paused to breathe. Sam gave her some water. She gulped half of the glass down. "It's just that I've never seen so-so many spiders since then. The memory-" She stopped. 

San told her to do breathing exercises, eat something--anything that would help her calm down and loosen up. "And FRIDAY, get someone to exterminate those things." 

"Sure thing. It'll be clean by the afternoon." 

"If you're up for it," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We can go back to see it clean." She nodded.

*** 

Natasha hung in the door of the rec room, tired and sweaty. She had spent the past three hours in the gym, before taking a look at the garage with Sam. They were gone; those spiders would not haunt her.  
But she still had a few more things to say before she could sleep easy that night. 

Natasha slid onto the couch next to Peter. "Uh, hi Natasha," Peter said, carefully. 

"How was school, kid?" She faced the T.V. Peter had Star Wars: Rebels on. 

"Fine, fine," he responded too quickly. 

The spy sighed. "Peter, have I told you the story of how I was named The Black Widow?" It was a rhetorical question--they both knew she had never mentioned it. 

"No." 

"Well," she turned and met his eyes. "At seventeen I...graduated from the program." She spoke slowly, with Peter hanging on to every word. "There were eight of us. And the one choice we had in our lives was to pick our code name. Usually, they're based on our strengths. I was silent on my feet and killed...efficiently. But most importantly, I had a hatred for spiders. Even though I was brainwashed into allegiance, I had a hatred for what they had made me. So, Black Widow I became." A tear had made its way down her cheek, but Natasha did not stop it. 

"And two years later, it became known as the Black Widow Program. Because it produced me." Peter had his mouth wide open. Natasha faced away and wiped the tear away. 

"Kid, tell me what Chopper's doing." His mouth snapped shut and he obliged. 

Two hours later, Peter's head was slumped on Nat's shoulder. He was yawning and nodding off, but determinedly trying to stay awake with Natasha. "Sleep, Parker," she whispered to him. 

"Hmm, no...I'll keep you...you company." She smiled and began to hum. A second later she added words from an old Russian lullaby. Natasha closed her own eyes, and both of them were asleep. FRIDAY closed the T.V. and turned off the lights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This reason for her name is a total headcanon, if you didn't realize.


	5. Rhoedy sits too much (and how Tony and Sam haul him to the jacuzzi)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhodey is stiff, but nothing a jacuzzi can't fix, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you everyone for the kudos! I never imagined I would get so many hits. Don't forget to comment with suggestions or prompts.
> 
> Note: I don't actually know what would happen if a semi-paralyzed person (like Rhodey) were to stay in one position too long. This chapter is based off people I know who cramp up after sitting for too long.

It was a nice afternoon. A good day to go outside. But, no, Rhodey could not. He looked down at his desk again. He had been playing catch-up all week after Sam's abrupt arrival last Tuesday. The compound had been extra active and it had been hard for Rhodey to work for a few days. Paperwork waits for no man.

He glanced at the clock. 4:10. It took a moment to register, but--shit. He had been sitting here for four hours. 

Rhodey tried to stand, but his legs stiffened halfway through and he had to sit back down. Damn. His legs had seized up as he sat. To prevent this, he usually got up every hour to stretch. But this time he got absorbed in his paperwork. Now, he was stuck. 

"Tony!" Rhodey called. He had seen him around maybe twenty minutes ago. "Tones!" Just as FRIDAY was informing him Tony was on his way from downstairs, Rhodey heard footsteps. 

Sam appeared at the door. "Rhodes. You need help with somethin'?" 

The colonel paused, and Sam approached. "Yeah, I'm, um--" 

Tony strode in. "Rhodes? This better be important 'cause I left Natasha with the ice cream and I want to have enough for sundaes later." The other two men watched him ramble. 

Tony joined them at Rhodey's desk. He and Sam looked at Rhodey expectantly. Awkward. 

"I'm stuck. My muscles are stuck." He knew his two friends knew what he meant. 

Tony put a hand on his shoulder. "We just got to roll you out. Get some heat. You'll be striding downstairs in no time." 

"C'mon," Sam said. They hauled Rhodey to his feet, one on each shoulder. He leaned on the two guys, but could support some of his own weight. They set him down on the floor. "I can massage" Sam volunteered. "And Tony can get the heating pad and foam roller." Stark squinted at him. "I used to counsel veterans. I've massaged plenty in my time." Tony shrugged and hurried to the med bay for the stuff. 

"Ow," Rhodey muttered, once Sam started. 

Sam took in a deep breath. "Rhodey," he said. "I never got to say this, but...I'm sorry." The last bit came out strained. 

From the ground, Rhodey knitted his eyebrows together. "Sam, it was an accident. I don't hold it against you." He paused as the massage continued. "I already worked it out with Vision." 

The other man shook his head. "You were still after me." 

"And we didn't communicate well enough." 

"I may not have shot you, but I was still the reason. And knowing I caused this..."

"Wilson," Rhodey said sharply. "We all decided to fight, and we all knew the consequences. I-I came out like this, but it's okay." He relaxed. "It's okay." Sam swallowed and kept on massaging.  
A minute later, Tony came back. "Tony...why do you have our swim trunks?" 

"I figured," Tony replied, handing the heating pad and roller to Sam. "That it'd be good to take a dip in the jacuzzi. Y'know, some mellow jazz, martinis, play with the jets." Rhodey and Sam smiled. 

It took ten minutes of Tony and Sam working with the foam roller and heating pad for Rhodey to properly straighten his legs. Another five was spent warming up his legs to the idea of walking again. 

The three of them strolled (just as Tony promised) down to the rec area, changed, and played with the jacuzzi jets. Instead of martinis, Natasha popped in with (spiked! That's close enough, right?) ice cream sundaes. 

"We're in a hot tub!" Rhodey exclaimed. 

She just chuckled and told them to eat quickly, and added quietly, "Three bros in a hot tub, sitting five feet apart 'cause they're not gayyyyy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vines, anyone?


	6. Peter goes to school during flu season (and how Tony has to give him a dad talk)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter doesn't know what to do, so Tony gives a dad talk.  
> Poor Spider-baby! :O

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter!!!  
> Thank you everyone who gave kudos, bookmarked, commented, or even looked at this. This wild ride of posting my first fic was amazing! I'm always open for prompts/suggestions, generic or fandom specific. 
> 
> Also, a huge thanks to my sister she betas all my work! 
> 
> \- Lily

_Beep beep. Beep beep._ Peter slammed his alarm clock off. Shit. Yesterday afternoon was...well, suffice to say he couldn't face his classmates today. That gave him five minutes before May came in looking for him. 

He quietly went over to his closet. The only way to get out of school was for an alien attack, serious injury, or illness. Of course, he wasn't supposed to get sick, but who said he couldn't? No one _really_ knows what that spider did to him. Peter grabbed his mask and climbed back under the covers.

"Karen," he whispered. 

"Yes, Peter?" She replied at normal volume.

"Shh!" He spased in panic. "Minimum volume. Turn on heater, and when I tap the right eye, turn it off." 

"Okay Peter. Turning on heater." Heat emanated from the mask, and the teen put it on his head. Three minutes left. After another minute, he put the mask over his hands, against his chest. He swapped again and left it on his head until May knocked on the door.

"Peter?" He scrambled to pull the mask off and stuff it in between his legs. The door opened. "Ready for breakfast? I leave for work in twenty." 

"Mmhm," Peter replied, doing his best to sound drousy. He turned to the door and opened his eyes slowly. 

"Peter you're all flushed. Is everything okay?" He rubbed his eye with a very warm hand and coughed. A concerned May rushed over and put a hand to his forehead. "You're burning up!" May gasped. "Didn't you tell me yesterday Gwen went home with the flu?" 

Peter groaned. "No, May. I don't have the flu." 

"You can't go to school. I'll have to call them and work. Sit tight for a minute, okay?" She went back to the kitchen, where her phone was, to make the calls. Peter, with his spidey-senses, heard every word. The first call to school was quick. The other one, not so much. "It's just for today. I have to take care of my nephew." Pause. "I know it's sudden, but I know Deborah can take my shift." They went back and forth for a minute. 

"I'm sorry, bud," May said, re-entering the bedroom. "There's no one to take my shift. Maybe Mrs. Leeds can..." She trailed off, looking at the closet. "I'll call Tony. I'm sure someone's at the compound." Yes! Wait, _no_. Mr. Stark would find him out in two seconds. But May was already making the call. 

"Sure, he can come up," Mr. Stark was saying. "Happy'll drive by. We have a meeting with a few Congressmen in a minute, but it shouldn't take long." 

May let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you Tony." 

"Thanks Mr. Stark," Peter interjected. 

"Kid, you'd better not be courageous." 

***

May was gone in the promised twenty minutes, after reminding him to bring all his school stuff and giving him a hug. Happy arrived in another ten. 

This gave Peter ample time to panic. 

He didn't know what he would do once he got to the compound or what he would say to Mr. Stark, or--well--anything. Lying was not his forte. At least Happy steered clear of Peter and stuck to basic conversation. But maybe that was because Peter pretended to fall asleep. 

By the time the car stopped, Peter had actually fallen asleep. He woke to the car door opening. "Kid," A voice said. He opened his eyes to find Colonel Rhodes reaching out a hand to touch his _not_ feverish forehead. Panicking, Peter instinctively raised a hand defensively and grabbed the mask with the other. In another two seconds, he was looking at a confused and concerned colonel through his spider eyes. "How do you feel?" 

"Okay. I, uh..." It suddenly occurred to the teen that he needed an explanation of why he shoved his head into his (now heated) mask. "The light. It-it's giving me a headache." Peter added a few coughs in case that wasn't convincing. 

Rhodes nodded and pulled him out of the car. "Okay, Parker--backpack? Got it--I only have a few minutes before I have to get back to the meeting. Everyone else is still tied up. FRIDAY can give you a once-over in your room, and Tony will meet you there when we're done. Sound good?" Peter nodded. "You need anything?"

"I'm good. Thanks Colonel." Rhodes patted him on the back and left for the conference room. 

Peter grabbed a water bottle from the kitchen. When he entered his room, FRIDAY greeted him. "Hi Peter. I'm sorry that you're sick. Boss wanted me to run a few scans to asses your condition." Oh. 

"Hi FRIDAY. Um, could you please wait until Mr. Stark gets here to tell him the results?"

"Sure Peter. Running scans now." The teen pulled of his mask and sat on his bed. "Scans complete. Peter, there seems to be nothing abnormal about your life signs. Do you still feel ill?" 

"No, I'm fine FRIDAY." 

"Okay Peter. Can I ask why you came, then? You should be in school." 

The sophomore sighed. "I know. I just didn't want to go today." 

"Is there something you would like to talk about?"

"No, it's fine. I'll probably have to tell Mr. Stark anyways. Please don't say anything until he asks." 

"You got it." Peter turned the TV on and waited on top of his covers for his mentor to come. It was only another twenty minutes. 

"How's my favorite intern?" Tony asked. He strode in and went straight for the holographic table. 

"Mr. Stark I'm your only intern." 

"You're still my favorite." The man tapped a few buttons. "Let's see what FRIDAY has for us..." Peter looked at his feet and chanted _Please don't tell May, Please don't tell May_ over and over in his head. "Kid." Evidently Mr. Stark was done looking over the data. "Is something wrong?"

He grabbed the desk chair and sat down facing Peter. "Nothing's wrong," Peter replied too quickly. He was still looking at his feet, afraid to face Mr. Stark. 

"Kid, you can tell me. I won't call May. Unless it's bad." 

"Mr. Stark I'm fine. I just needed a day off." 

"Parker." They both watched the show for a minute. Once it was clear Peter wasn't going to say anything, Mr. Stark continued. "Peter, look me in the eyes." 

The teen hesitated but obeyed. It was a hard stare full of anguish, and Peter shrank back a bit. He knew Mr. Stark was just worried, but he had not seen this side of him since homecoming. "I care about you. And so does May. Whatever's wrong, we can sort out, okay? Clearly you didn't want to tell May, or we wouldn't be here."

Peter swallowed and began to confess. "It's, um, well...yesterday was decathlon practice. And MJ and I co-captain together, right? So she asked if I wanted to walk with her to her apartment so we could discuss plans for the next month." Mr. Stark raised an eyebrow. Peter made bug eyes. 

"We walked all twelve blocks, talking and laughing. Then we stopped outside her door. And--I screwed up." He ran a hand through his hair. "She asked if I wanted to stay for dinner. I said yes, and then-and then she moved a little closer and looked at me like she was expecting something and I paniced." Mr. Stark was rubbing at his stubble. 

"I took a step back--I didn't mean too--and her face changed. I knew I screwed up, but I didn't know what else to do so I told her May was actually expecting me." 

"Let me get this straight, Parker," Mr. Stark said. "This girl, MJ, you like her, right? She invited you into her house for dinner, expected you to kiss her, and then you accidentally rejected her." 

Peter nodded with a grim expression on his face. "That's not even the worst of it," he groaned. "Someone from school saw us leave together and took a photo of us outside MJ's building. It spread like wildfire. I even saw a rumor that," Peter blushed. "We had sex." Of course he basically knew who that 'someone' was. 

"And now the whole school thinks you two did-the-diddy? Didn't think you had it in you, kid." 

Peter sighed. He was used to his mentor's constant teasing. "Mr. Stark, you've been on lots of dates-" Tony snorted at that "-How can I make this up to MJ?" 

Mr. Stark scratched his head. "Three steps. First, apologize. Then give her something small. Then ask her out." 

Just like that? "I don't know if it'll be that easy..." 

"Parker, I've done it a hundred times on all sorts of women. It'll be fine." 

Peter was still a bit worried. MJ was definitely different than anyone his mentor had ever dated. "Do I need to say something about the rumors?" 

Mr. Stark shrugged. "Depends on what you wanna say. She's probably heard all of them by now. You can work that into your apology if you want." 

He stood and ruffled Peter's hair. "Anymore questions? If you want to take her anywhere fancy, I'll pay." 

Peter smiled. "Thanks Mr. Stark. I don't think she would like it though." 

The older man made a face. "Okay, enough of this sappy crap. Let's head down to the lab." 

"I need to make up the work I'm missing. And my homework." 

"Ah, homework shmomework. You can do it in five minutes anyways. C'mon." 

They hurried down to the lab and tinkered all day. Tony later made a full report to May about how well Peter recovered and drove him home. "Thanks, Mr. Stark," Peter said as he got out of the car. 

"No problem, kid. I'm always here to help you." The teen smiled and went into his apartment. Tony smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola again! Please comment on how you liked the work as a whole and what I could do to make my writing better.  
> <3


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